Steve,
Okay, thank you for "listening".
When I say that "after a few years of training under their belt, our guys are great" I am referring to the combination of time spent as both a second officer and first officer, and certainly by the time they reach command training. But read on....
No, I don't think that P2X hours qualify as high quality right-seat time (with that in mind, would someone with the appropriate knowledge comment on the validity of P2X hours outside of Cathay Pacific?).
Dragon Air could not do what it is doing if it operated under FAA jurisdiction....
However, the difference between Dragon Air and the Colgan Air disaster, for example, is that the Captain in any Dragon Air cockpit is a highly experienced and well trained individual, the recipient of some of the best training money can buy.
The combination of a highly experienced captain and a 200 hour first officer in the cockpit of a commercial jet is not something I agree with (as the accident statistics bear out). The best combination in the cockpit of a commercial jet airliner is, and will always be, a highly experienced and well trained captain and first officer.
The best way for a new pilot to acquire experience is the same way as it is in every other profession (and for airlines operating under FAA jurisdiction)....you work your way up.
It costs money to hire and train the best pilots. How much money an airline spends on hiring and training is directly proportional to the quality of the end product in the cockpit. Generally speaking, if you pay peanuts......